turf

[ turf ]

noun

, plural turfs, (especially British) turves [turvz].

1. a layer of matted earth formed by grass and plant roots.
2. peat, especially as material for fuel.
3. a block or piece of peat dug for fuel.
4. Slang.
   1. the neighborhood over which a street gang asserts its authority.
   2. a familiar area, as of residence or expertise:

      Denver is her turf. When you talk literature you're getting into my turf.

5. Chiefly British. a piece cut or torn from the surface of grassland; sod.
6. the turf,
   1. the track over which horse races are run.
   2. the practice or sport of racing horses.

verb (used with object)

1. to cover with turf or sod.
2. British Slang. to remove from a desirable office or position; expel; kick out:

   He was turfed from leadership of the group.

turf

/ tɜːf /

noun

1. the surface layer of fields and pastures, consisting of earth containing a dense growth of grasses with their roots; sod
2. a piece cut from this layer, used to form lawns, verges, etc
3. the turf
   the turf
   1. a track, usually of grass or dirt, where horse races are run
   2. horse racing as a sport or industry
4. slang.
   the territory or area of activity over which a person or group claims exclusive rights
5. an area of knowledge or influence

   he's on home turf when it comes to music

6. See peat
   another term for peat 1
7. go with the turf informal.
   go with the turf to be an unavoidable part of a particular situation or process

verb

1. tr to cover with pieces of turf

Other Words From

• turfless adjective
• turflike adjective
• re·turf verb (used with object)
• un·turfed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of turf¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English, cognate with Dutch turf, German Torf (from Low German ), Old Norse torf, akin to Sanskrit darbha “tuft of grass”; turbary

Word History and Origins

Origin of turf¹

Old English; related to Old Norse torfa , Old High German zurba , Sanskrit darbha tuft of grass

Example Sentences

By adapting Cash App to provide payroll services, Square is poised to muscle onto the turf of ADP and other HR giants.

From Fortune

These are struggles over ministerial appointments and over control of turf in the security landscape of Tripoli.

From Ozy

For the acorn woodpecker, turf wars aren’t just violent and potentially fatal—they’re a spectator sport.

From Popular-Science

There’s a sort of turf war between Hong Kong and its sister bourses on the mainland.

From Fortune

The turf war is not limited to the subscription side of the industry.

From Digiday

New York—and Brooklyn in particular—was familiar turf for Brinsley.

From The Daily Beast

Trotter had fewer resources but he was playing on home turf.

From The Daily Beast

There might be some opportunities on trade and tax policy, but those will exist about 75 percent on Republican turf.

From The Daily Beast

The Democratic Party is defending more than a half-dozen seats on Republican-friendly turf.

From The Daily Beast

Obama traveled to Tampa Wednesday to meet with Austin about the ISIS strategy on his own turf.

From The Daily Beast

But having chosen the Champs aux Capuchins, it was idle to expect that one stretch of turf would prove firmer than another.

From Project Gutenberg

Round this stood a colony of roughly-built huts, of mud, turf, or large blocks of the slate.

From Project Gutenberg

In many respects like the Virginia planter, they differ somewhat in their taste in all that pertains to the turf and the field.

From Project Gutenberg

At the same time, it is a notorious fact that he has had heavy losses at cards and on the turf, which may account for everything.

From Project Gutenberg

The skull of a man grinned up at us, half sunk in the green turf, and the ends of ribs shewed how he to whom it had belonged lay.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• earth
• grass
• ground
• sod
• soil
• terrain
• territory
• track

More About Turf

What does turf mean?

Turf is the top layer of a grassy area consisting of a kind of mat of grass and its roots. It’s the layer you could cut out and pull up in one piece.

Such pieces are in fact pulled up and used to form lawns. This is also called turf. A close synonym is sod. Artificial turf is a surface that’s supposed to resemble a grassy surface, such as is sometimes used on sports fields. A name for one kind of this is Astroturf.

Turf is also a term for the area that a gang claims as its exclusive territory. This sense of turf can also be used more casually to refer to a physical or figurative area that one claims as one’s own, such as an area of expertise, as in Advertising is my turf, so please stick to accounting. This use of the word turf is used in the phrases turf war and home turf.

Example: My cat claimed my dog’s bed as her turf, and the dog’s not happy about it.

Where does turf come from?

The first records of the word turf come from before the 900s. It’s related to the Old Norse torfa, the Old High German zurba, and the Sanskrit darbha, meaning “tuft of grass.”

Turf isn’t just grass, but grass is part of it. Together with dirt, the roots of all the grass growing in a field or pasture form a kind of thickly matted layer over the rest of the soil. This top layer is called turf. Sometimes, turf is grown like a crop, to be cut, rolled up, and planted in lawns or other places. This is also called sod.

The phrase the turf is sometimes used to refer to a horse racing track, or horse racing in general.

The first records of turf to refer to gang territory come from the 1900s, but similar senses were used earlier. This meaning has become extended to more casual use: saying something is your turf is the same as saying it’s your territory, meaning you have authority or expertise in it or some other claim to it. The phrase home turf refers to one’s usual surroundings, such as one’s neighborhood or hometown. It’s commonly used in sports to refer to a team’s “home” stadium, court, field, or other playing area—whether it’s covered in turf or not.

In British slang, turf and turf out mean “to kick out or expel,” as in They’re expected to turf him from the board.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to turf?

• turfs (plural)
• turves (alternate plural sometimes used in British English)
• turfless (adjective)
• turflike (adjective)
• returf (verb)
• unturfed (verb)

What are some synonyms for turf?

• sod
• lawn
• territory
• track

What are some words that share a root or word element with turf? 

 

• turbary
• home turf
• turf war
• turf out

What are some words that often get used in discussing turf?

• home
• war
• grass
• field
• pasture
• gang
• neighborhood
• horse
• racetrack

How is turf used in real life?

When it refers to gang territory or it’s used in a similar way, turf is a slang term that’s typically used informally.

We love Dad's new bouncy turf and are doing our best to wreck it👍
It won't take us long. pic.twitter.com/a70Kb2yMVA

— Furzey & Thor⚡ (@FurzeyRetriever) May 10, 2020

Cracks me up when England fans get so dewy-eyed and swollen with pride about Euro 96, when they only made it to the semis on their home turf, then they laugh at Wales fans for banging on about reaching the semis of France 2016.

— Simon Price (@simon_price01) May 11, 2020

When birds attack your car because the months-long empty parking lot is now THEIR turf. #BirdsOfPrey pic.twitter.com/8bvnQEN2HI

— Shawn Brown (@Pencilzord) May 8, 2020

 

 

Try using turf!

True or False? 

When it’s used to refer to exclusive territory, tu,irf is always used in the context of gangs.